TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

Foreword by Dr. Jeffrey Wigand

 

 

Introduction: Whistleblowing in Corporate America

The Need for This Handbook

A Message to Corporate Leaders

 

 

Chapter One: Deciding to Blow the Whistle

- What Constitutes a Whistleblower Case?

- Facing Conflicting Values and Goals

- Whistleblowers at Their Best

- Reality Check for the Aspiring Whistleblower

     Shooting the Messenger

     The Personal Price

 

 

Chapter Two: The Red Flags

- Targeting Dissenters: Tactics of Retaliation

     Spotlight the Whistleblower, Not the Wrongdoing

     Build a Damaging Record against the Whistleblower

     Threaten Them

     Isolate Them

     Set Them Up for Failure

     Physically Attack Them

     Eliminate Their Jobs

     Paralyze Their Careers

     Blacklist Them

- Neutralizing Dissent: Tactics of Cover-Up

     Gag the Employees

     Study It to Death

     Separate Expertise from Authority

     Institutionalize Conflict of Interest

     Keep Them Ignorant

     Prevent the Development of a Written Record

     Rewrite the Issues

     Scapegoat the Small Fry

 

 

Chapter Three: What to Know Before You Blow

 - Be Clear about Your Objectives

- Anonymity versus Going Public

     Questions to Help You Decide

- Thirteen Essential Survival Tips

- Maintaining Your Sanity

- Relationships, Relationships, Relationships!

     Building Partnerships

- Gathering More Information

     Corporate Filings

     Other Information in the Public Record

     Freedom of Information Act

     Public Interest Organizations and the Media

- A Note on Defamation

     Public Figures versus Private Citizens

     Truth as an Absolute Defense

 

 

Chapter Four: Where to Go When You Want to Blow

- Whistle Where You Work: The Corporate Channels

     In-House Disclosure Programs

     Going up the Chain of Command

     Pointers for Taking It up the Chain

-Whistleblowing to Regulators and Law Enforcement

     The Problem of Regulatory Capture

     Pointers for Taking It to an Agency

- Whistleblowing to Congress

     Risks and Rewards of Taking It to Congress

     Pointers for Taking It to Congress

- Blowing the Whistle on Fraud through the Courts

     Origins of the False Claims Act 

     How a False Claims Suit Works

     Considerations before Filing a False Claims Suit

- Whistleblowing and the Media

     News Media

     Pointers for Taking It to the News Media

     New and Social Media

     Pointers for Using Social and New Media

 

 

Chapter Five: Getting Help in Blowing the Whistle

- Advocacy Partners: A Whistleblower’s Best Friend

     Public Interest Organizations

     Employee Organizations

     Employee Support Organizations

     Professional Associations

     Considerations before Working with Advocacy Partners

     Questions to Ask before Taking on an Advocacy Partner

- Whistleblowing on the Web

     WikiLeaks and Similar Sites

- Whistleblowers and Their Lawyers

     Considerations before Selecting a Lawyer

     Pointers for Choosing a Lawyer 

     Pointers for Working with Your Lawyer 

     Terminating the Attorney-Client Relationship

 

 

Chapter Six: Whistleblowing and the Law

- SOX and Federal Whistleblower Statutes: A Mirage of Protection

     Your Rights on Paper 

     SOX on Paper

     Your Rights in Reality

     What Went Wrong: OSHA

     What Went Wrong: ARB

     The Times Are They a-Changin’?

     Pointers for Filing a SOX Whistleblower Complaint

- False Claims Act

- State Statutory Protections

- Common-Law Protections

 

 

Chapter Seven: Corporate Whistleblower Reform

- The Principles of Reform

     Citizen Enforcement Act

- Corporate Policies and Guidelines

     Corporate Whistleblower’s Bill of Rights and Responsibilities

- Alternative Dispute Resolution

     Types of Alternative Dispute Resolution

     The Hanford Concerns Council

 

 

Conclusion

 

Whistleblower Toolkit

Tool A: Filing a Sarbanes-Oxley Whistleblower Complaint

Tool B: Sample FOIA Request Letter

Tool C:  Public Interest Organizations

Tool D: Online Resources

Tool E: Federal Statutes with Corporate Whistleblower Provisions

Tool F: International Ombudsman Association Standards of Practice

Tool G: International Best Practices for Whistleblower Policies

Tool H: Model Whistleblower Hotline Policy

Tool I: Model Citizen Enforcement Act

 

 

Acknowledgments

 

Notes

Glossary

Bibliography

Index

About the Government Accountability Project